Tucked away on the west side of the small town of Broad Channel in the middle of Jamiaca Bay is a narrow, dead end, street that goes by the name of West 12th Road. Those of us who live there know that the nice part about living in a small town is that when you are not quite sure what is going on, someone else always does!
[Peter J. Mahon West 12th Road, Broad Channel]

Pages

Friday, June 5, 2015

Broad Channel Bits

By Dan Guarino

Did you see the rolling waves on the bay the other week? Under a darkening cloudy sky, they were coming in pretty fast. It was getting scary.

Later after nightfall, I heard the steady drip of water. I shot up, checked the windows and then door, and was relieved to find that it was a steady rain coming down, rather than water trying to push through the floor of my apartment.

This Sunday, June 7, Father White is celebrating his 50th anniversary as a priest with a Mass at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea. Mass starts at 1:15 p.m. and there will be a reception afterward. Father White, of course, was our pastor over here at St. Virgilius.

By the way, Sunday services at Christ Presbyterian by the Sea church are at 9 a.m.

You can still get in on the Shad Creek Association’s annual golf outing. It all starts next Friday, June 12, at 3 p.m. There will be a shotgun start to kick off 18 holes of golf at the Riis Park Pitch n Putt. It’s $75 per golfer or $300 per foursome. There will be refreshments on the course and an awards dinner back at the SCA clubhouse at 529 Cross Bay Blvd., plus T-shirts and more. Contact Mike Kelly at 917-868-4453 or michael_ p_ kelly@yahoo.com right now to reserve a spot for your foursomes. All proceeds go to support Shad Creek Association.

Meanwhile, over at the BC Library there is a magic show on June 12 at 4 p.m. “We’re celebrating Summer Reading with an interactive comedy magic showand a real live rabbit!”

The St. Virgilius Rosary Alter Society will be meeting on Monday, June 15, at 12:30 p.m. at the American Legion Hall.

Even with the recent rain, it’s been a much drier spring than most so far. The new trees along the Boulevard and on the medians could use a little extra water to keep them going. Please stop and give them a drink when you can. Or better yet, adopt one and do it on a regular basis. As Judy Zack of the BC Civic Beautification Committee says, “Please let everyone know that Mother Nature can only do so much and every tree pit needs a good dose of water twice a week.” Thanks.

Stay tuned for the fifth annual Two Bridges Music Festival coming up on July 11 at Grassy’s.

According to Arcadia Publishing, between July 20 and Dec. 20 last year, 24 copies of Images of America:Broad Channel were sold. That’s a lot of copies for a book of that kind.

Parents, St. Camillus has opened a second class of free universal, full day Pre- K starting in September. Call the school for info.

Want to keep up with Channel musician Mike Benedetto, his band Rattrap Bumpkin, and the various causes and projects he’s involved in? You can find him on Facebook under “Mike B-Easy.”

Big congratulations to the Sorrentinos, who are celebrating their 17th anniversary.

Speaking of notable dates, according to Facebook, the Broad Channel Civic Association had a birthday on May 21. Happy B’day, BC Civic. We’re wishing you many more.

Thanks to Lisena Landscape Supply and Nursery here in BC, who have donated and planted the new soil, grass and flowers to go with the brand new ‘Welcome to Broad Channel’ sign.

Attention All Campers: Registration is now starting for Shamrock Summer Camp at the BCAC. Registration will be on Sunday, June 7, from 12 to 2 p.m., Tuesday, June 9, and Sunday, June 13, which will be the final date, from 12 to 2 p.m. “Our summer program is a mix of high-quality recreation and education combined to provide new experiences, personal growth…and loads of fun.”

Start living in the past, and pick a few free Broad Channel Historical calendars from previous years at the library. The vintage pictures are good fun and never go out of date. The BC Historical Society is currently working on the new 2016 calendar. If you’d like to advertise in it, contact me at the email address below!

Did you know you can order in books, DVDs, CDs and almost anything else in the Queens Library system and have it delivered to any branch, like say the BC Library? Ask about it at the library or check online. Shhhh, I am bingewatching The Equalizer TV show from the ‘80s right now.

Many thanks to American Legion Post 1404, for their donation of children’s books to our library.

The BCVFD has started going door to door for their annual fund drive. Whether they come to you or you go to them at the firehouse, give what you can. The volunteer firefighters and EMTs are there for Broad Channel around the clock, year in and out, keeping us safe. Lend them your support to keep the lights on and the engines going.

If anybody has any information or documentation about the BCVFD reorganization in the 1950s, please contact Ed Wilmarth III through the Vollies Facebook page.